SB Nation - Adalius Thomas

Game Recap: Patriots defeat Bills, 17-10

MaPatsFan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:43:20 -0000

2 days ago: New England Patriots running back Laurence Maroney (39) gets past Buffalo Bills cornerback Drayton Florence (29) during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. The Patriots won 17-10. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

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A win is a win. There were some ugly bits and there were some good bits. It was ugly because our overall yardage was abysmal and 4th quarter third down conversions were almost non existent. It was good because despite a number of absent key starters, our backups stepped up and made plays when they needed to. That's encouraging. Just think what we could've done had the starters been in.

First, let me get this out of the way: I do not believe Randy Moss is "Back". For that to be true, he'd have to have "Left". As I've said before, when Moss's production droops below superhuman, MSM pundits declare him dogging it and begin hammering him senseless. When faced with real evidence, they retreat into "Well, what can be seen on the game tape that I can't see on TV?" Well, that answer alone proves how pathetic these guys are. Asking that question means you have no clue, Mr. MSM Pundit, and are summarily dismissed.

Moving on...

There were a slew of positives, one of the more important ones being a phenomenal tip toe catch by Mr. Moss. It was extremely important because it was a touchdown, but even more importantly it likely gave Randy an emotional boost, a boost he so sorely needed. It was key to get his head back in the game and I'm glad Belichick and Brady worked to insure he was relevant to the win.

On defense we were missing a number of key starters: Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Myron Pryor. This put us in scramble mode. How did Belichick handle it?

Around the locker room yesterday, no defenisve players would divulge the name of the defense they used on third and long yesterday, when the Patriots used six defensive backs, no defensive linemen, and five standing linebackers strewn around the line of scrimmage. "I'll pass on that one," linebacker Ron Ninkovich said, which was representative. Adalius Thomas offered "organized chaos," but that is a description more than a name.

Bill Belichick didn't have an answer today, either. But he did have an idea.

"We can do a fan poll," he said. "See what you can come with."

If you remember, we commented during the game threads that it looked like the 5 linebackers were milling around, not sure where they were supposed to be. In reality, that was defensive genius. On more than a few occasions, Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked at bit confused. Once it was too late to make any offensive adjustments, the Patriots defense settled into its formation. I love it!! Keep that up. This from Rob Ninkovich:

"We had more speed out there, more confusion – Who’s coming? Who’s going? Who’s rushing? Who’s dropping?" another rush linebacker, Rob Ninkovich, said. "It worked out for us. Hard for them to figure out who’s the Mike, where they’re sliding to, basically. It worked well for us."

One of the highlights for me was the makings of a pass rush. Tully Banta-Cain showed up HUGE for this game:

"We knew they had some changes on the O-line and a different quarterback," linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said after posting three sacks. "So we knew if we gave them some different looks and mixed up the pressures, it could cause some confusion. I think we were able to try it out early in the game and we got some success on it and it carried through the rest of the game."

Yeah, 3 sacks and a lot of pressure. I have a feeling Tully will have a spot on the 2010 roster if he wants one. I thought the defensive play calling was pretty good up front. We still need a TON of work wrapping up during tackles as Brandon Meriweather continues to go after the big hit, but overall we're a better unit than in previous outings.

The offensive story of the game was, for once, NOT Tom Brady and Wes Welker. Sure, the QB/WR duo came up huge on a third down conversion to essentially ice the game, but this was a game won on the ground. Despite an abysmal third down conversion rate in the 4th quarter, we managed to mix it up in the air and on the ground; not abandoning the run game was crucial and Laurence Maroney has stepped up nicely as the feature back in this backfield-by-committee. 23 for 81 yards and a TD will never get you "elite status" labels, but it certainly was just what we needed when we needed it. LoMo was turning his upper body and slicing through holes - very cool. He was also pounding into defenders and making them pay for daring to tackle him; maybe he has a headset wired to Fred Taylor.

Most importantly, this is a division win. With both Miami and NE at 4-2 in the division, that potential tie breaker is eliminated, moving us to common games. In essence, we clinch the division with any NE win or any Miami loss. Seeding gets a bit more complicated and is explained here. Both the Jaguars and Texans could be tough games for us, but we take on Jacksonville at home - the more likely win. Miami closes the season with the Texans and Steelers, both in Miami.

It's close...again.

New England Patriots Links 12/16/09 - Adalius Thomas Gets a Good Wrap

Marima — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:48:07 -0000

Titus Adams (left) and Adalius Thomas get all wrapped up in the 'Wrap a Pat' portion of the New England Patriots charitable foundation/Salvation Army Holiday party at Gillette Stadium yesterday.

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Adalius Thomas earned points with Robert Kraft and especially the kids, who adorned he and defensive lineman Titus Adams in gift wrap as part of the "Wrap-a-Pat" portion of the evening. Great photos of the event here.

"It was a little crazy being wrapped up with Titus. He's a little claustrophobic. I'm a little claustrophobic. I found out he's a lot more claustrophobic than I am," Thomas said earlier this evening. "But it was very interesting to see the kids do that. I don't know how much paper it was but that was a lot of paper. I could have used some of that. I need to wrap some gifts when I get home."

"Any time when it's about the kids, nothing else really matters. It's a game that we're playing," Thomas said. "That's truly what it is. But these kids are dealing with the game of life, which is a lot more important than football. You come out here, you try to put a smile on their faces, and hopefully they forget about any problems they may have or anything they may be going through. So if you can come out and lend a hand, spend a piece of your day and give them something to remember for a lifetime, I think that's a great trade-off."

Bill Belichick talks up Bills' WR Terrell Owens and if he's still the same threat he's been in the past.

Well, yeah. Ask Jacksonville, ask Miami. He does a great job on the vertical deep routes. He's obviously big and fast and he can go up and get the ball. But he's also very good on the underneath routes, like what happened last week on a catch-and-run play where he caught the ball underneath, broke a couple tackles, and got the ball in the end zone. He's dangerous. He made a nice play there against Kansas City, but he's also made nice plays down the field. They try to get him the ball underneath. They did that against us in the first game for a 20-something-yard gain, whatever it was.

So he's a guy that can hurt you in a lot of different ways - deep, intermediate, run after the catch. He had a real nice play that got called back against Miami. He had a real nice play where he took a reverse and they had him in the backfield for about a 10-yard loss, and he ended up gaining about 10, 12 yards on the play and broke three or four tackles along the way. I think he's still got plenty of skill.

TEAM TALK

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - Broadcast info, series history, team connections and more.
Ask PFW: What's up with A.D., Moss?
Tuesday Conference Calls: Bill Belichick (13:19 min.), Dean Pees (9:09 min.), Nick Caserio (7:52 min.). Plus Transcripts.
Patriots Today: Run game, playoff picture and more. (11:35 min video)

LOCAL LINKS

Mark Farinella employs a lonely voice of reason regarding the press and its biased treatment of Randy Moss. Plenty of players have bad games without getting crucified, including Matt "turnstyle" Light and Tom "Channing Crowder isn't a Patriot?" Brady. But Moss is never allowed the luxury of a bad game or a slump without the old story lines resurfacing.
Chris Gasper catches up with former Patriot WR Troy Brown, who weighs in on Moss and Thomas. Brown believes Moss has too much respect for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick to dog it.
Mike Reiss offers ten things to know about the Bills.
Karen Guregian looks for Brady to go to Moss early against the Bills, even though Buffalo has the NFL’s worst-ranked defense against the run.
Albert Breer sees the Patriots shifting to a running game.
Chris Gasper asserts Wes Welker is the MVP of the 2009 Patriots.
Adam Kilgore looks at the fan portion of the Pro-Bowl voting and notes some of its silliness.
Jeff Howe says winning doesn't cure everything, but a win over Buffalo on Sunday might.
Mike Reiss reports Jarvis Green has seen a heavy workload after missing three games following knee surgery. His four tackles and one sack earned him a game ball Sunday.
Albert Breer offers his final thoughts on the week that was.
Christopher Price answers his weekly reader mailbag, with Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas topping the list. Price believes Moss has too much respect for Tom Brady to dog it and thinks the WR is hurting.
Mike Reiss answers his weekly reader mailbag overflowing with questions, comments and concerns regarding the Patriots eventful week.
Mike Reiss notes Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (analysis) will call Sunday's game between the Patriots and Bills, which is the 100th in the series between the teams.
Ron Borges issues his week 14 Report Card, granting a top grade to Welker and not much else.
Steve DeOssie issues his week 14 Report Card, saying it's a good thing they were playing Carolina.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Robert Kraft provided some kind words for both Adalius Thomas and Randy Moss at yesterday's Salvation Army/Patriots holiday party at Gillette Stadium; James Sanders shared the team lead with seven tackles Sunday; Belichick sung the praises of T.O., whose team the Pats will be facing this week; Nick Caserio believes Laurence Maroney is evolving into the type of running back the team envisioned when it drafted him in 2006.

NATIONAL NEWS

NFL Network The Coaches: Belichick defends Randy Moss. (3:39 min. video) Mike Martz and Steve Mariucci defend Bill Belichick's defense of Randy Moss. Nice.
Allen Wilson (Buffalo News) Patriots' commitment called into question.
Nolan Nawrocki (Pro Football Weekly) Moss' effort reflects bigger Patriots problem.
Jeremy Lundblad (ESPN Stats & Information) Statistical guide to the New England Patriots' problems.
Allen Wilson and Ian Rapoport (Sporting News) Patriots vs. Bills Preview.
Rodney McKissic (Buffalo News) Bills' rookie safety Jairus Byrd has nine interceptions for the season.
Don Banks (SI) Draft redux: Re-projecting the 2009 first round Draftt based on season-to-date performances.

New England Patriots Links 12/15/09 - Patriots Have Randy's Back; Adalius Thomas Ratted Out The Story

Marima — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:54:31 -0000

Don't worry man, we've got your back.

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Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Defends Randy Moss' character.

So, yes, the Panthers did take Moss out of the game. And, yes, he did look lethargic on a certain number of plays. But to say that he quit on his teammates? No, I’m not buying that.

Did he play poorly? Sure he did, and just like the other members of that team, he will be corrected when they turn on the film today in their meeting rooms—but that is all that I see in play after this story has come out. And, I am going to listen to Brady and Belichick when it comes to judging his character as a teammate because, like you, I am not in those meetings, on the practice field or in the locker room with a player that still demands respect from a defensive standpoint—and causes opposing players to mouth off to the media even after a loss. Because we can’t pretend to know what is being called in that huddle, just as we can’t pretend to know what route is supposed to be run as told on the chalkboard in the Patriots meeting rooms.

Ty Warren was asked by WEEI's Michael Holley how the news about the discipline got out, and Warren replied that Adalius put it out there himself (at the 6.35 min. mark). Warren also mentioned that fellow-late-comer Gary Guyton returned to Gillette Stadium that night to watch film.

Bill Belichick talked about what happens when a guy like Sam Aiken is out of the lineup.

If you lose a core player in the kicking game, like Sam was inactive yesterday - he’s really a starter on four teams. It isn’t always the same person that replaces him on each team, it can be a combination of different things and that was the case yesterday. That’s always a challenge on special teams; if you take one guy out, you’ve lost him on at least four teams. Sometimes if he’s involved in the field goal and field goal rush situations, it could be more than that.

It’s a lot different than on offense or defense where it’s just that position on offense or that position on defense. It rolls into multiple positions in the kicking game and then you usually don’t have the same person where you just can’t do it, you don’t have enough people. It’s just like offense: you can’t have a backup right tackle, a backup right guard, a backup center. You’ve got to have one guy that backs up multiple positions and that’s true in the kicking game, too. One guy is out, that means 'you’re in on this team’, 'he’s in on that team’, 'you’re in on another team’ and it really challenges your depth.

That’s one of the real challenging parts of being the special teams coach and even as a head coach - trying to put the roster together when you have a player like that who has a role on offense and is a core player in the kicking game. That’s a lot of jobs.

TEAM TALK

Erik Scalavino says Wes Welker was the spark plug in Sunday's win, plus Monday notes from Gillette.
Monday Presser: Bill Belichick (22:18 min. video)
WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady (24:15 min.), Chris Baker (6:30 min.), Sammy Morris (9:20 min.), Ty Warren (13:35 min.), Bill Belichick (11:10 min.) Q&A Transcripts: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
Patriots Today: Overcoming Carolina, highlights and analysis. (13:05 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

Karen Guregian writes Randy-bashing was all the rage yesterday, but his coach and his team are staunchly in his corner.
Mike Reiss reports a feisty Bill Belichick came out swinging at his press conference Monday morning. It's memorable because Belichick is the anti-Ryan 99.9% of the time, either showering praise on the opposition or simply taking the football high road.
Mike Reiss points out how Tom Brady and Kevin Faulk both defend Randy Moss and deflect criticism of effort.
Christopher Price reports the consistant locker room support for Randy Moss, his character and his effort.
Bill Reynolds says Moss can answer critics with a return to All-Pro form.
Gerry Callahan feels Bill Belichick gave Randy a pass because he has no other choice besides hoping the real Randy Moss shows up for the last three games of the season.
Ian Rapoport notes ESPN analyst and former Minnesota WR Cris Carter feels something happened to Randy Moss mentally to be on the field in that state.
Ian Rapoport notes WR Jerry Rice rips Randy Moss. What a surprise.
Robert Lee reports rookie Sebastian Vollmer has improved to where he is already arguably just as good, if not better, than veteran tackles Matt Light and Nick Kaczur.
Ian Rapoport says LB Pierre Woods is happy with his role on special teams, but enjoyed getting the start on defense Sunday against the Panthers.
Mike Reiss looks at the snaps played by offensive skill position players and the positional groupings utilized by the Patriots in their 20-10 win over the Panthers.
Mike Reiss looks at and analyzes the snaps played by Patriots defenders in the Panthers win, noting Banta-Cain, Meriweather and Mayo played every one.
Mike Reiss breaks down the three-man rotation at OT in Sunday's win.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Adalius Thomas ready to move on from a bad week; Belichick admitted Brady’s availability really was a gametime decision; Rob Ninkovich filled in for Thomas on passing downs against the Panthers and was rewarded with a contract extension; Matt Light will only play Left Tackle, Sebastian Vollmer can rotate; Patriots gained 185 yards on the ground Sunday with Baker and Watson blocking.

NATIONAL NEWS

Eric Edholm (Pro Football Weekly) Brady, Belichick appear firmly in Moss's corner.
John Czarnecki (Fox Sports) The day after: What's eating Randy Moss?
Charles Chandler (Charlotte Observer) Patriots question Panthers, not Moss.
Scott Fowler (Charlotte Observer) Belichick can't handle the truth.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Big move: Belichick stands up for his boys.
Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) 'Fragile' Moss threatens to set back Patriots.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Jerry Rice rips Randy Moss for zero effort. (26 second video clip)
Michael Silver (Yahoo! Sports) Thanks to New England's run at perfection two years ago, we're no longer bombarded by the '72 Dolphins.
Dennis Dillon (Sporting News) Super Bowls don't matter, Colts are team of the decade. Ask any Colts' player if he'd trade a few of those regular-season victories for another SB win and you'll have your real answer.
Judy Battista (NY Times) With a chance at undefeated records, the Saints and Colts must weigh the value of perfection against resting for the playoffs.
Pro Football Weekly Steelers in midst of Super collapse.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

9 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, left, avoids the tackle of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. Marshall had 21 receptions for 200 yards in the game. The Colts defeated the Broncos 28-16. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Christmas is coming - and I, for one, am hoping for a much more joyous holiday season than I experienced last December. All I got for Christmas last year was the Broncos' historic collapse, and all I had to give was the one scenario that could possibly be worse than the season-ending Chargers game (it involved hypothetically cutting an apple, slipping, and stabbing myself in the groin WHILE watching that game).

I'm not much for moral victories, but today in Donny Deutschland, I will talk about why I feel better about Sunday's loss than I have about any Broncos loss in years. There's no time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire, y'all. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. I learned on Sunday that what I suspected was the case, was in fact, the case. That is, the Broncos can play with Indianapolis, at Indianapolis. It happened a little differently than I thought it would, but the Broncos competed, and got back in the game after getting down in really ugly fashion. Consider these statistics, as I pretend that I care about statistics for a moment. The Broncos outgained Indianapolis 357-312. They held the ball for 31:27, versus the Colts' 28:33. They won the turnover battle 3-1. The Broncos advanced into Colts territory on 8 of 12 posessions. These measures would tend to indicate victory, but in this case, the Broncos fell a little short.

For next time, we can internalize a few thoughts:

a. The Broncos have the players and schemes to cover the Colts receivers, pressure Peyton Manning, and generally disrupt their offense.

b. The Broncos have the players and schemes to move the ball at will against the Colts defense.

c. As a fan base, we all mistakenly thought to ourselves "Here we go again" when the Colts got up 21-0 after four possessions. We can take this game as a lesson that the past doesn't indicate the future. Those Broncos teams which got their doors blown off by the Colts passing game are definitely not these Broncos.

One general concern is that the Broncos could have run the ball better, and will need to next time. I felt the run scheme was too zone-heavy and horizontal, and it played into the Colts' plan to run-blitz the gaps. A smaller, faster team needs to be man-blocked with a vertical scheme. Those are guys you don't necessarily want moving laterally, because they're comfortable doing so.

The other concern is that at money time, Dallas Clark needed more and better attention. Josh Barrett needed to be on the field manning him up, because he's the best guy in the NFL at covering TEs man-to-man.

All in all, I am proud of the way the Broncos stayed in the game, despite some reasons that lesser men would take to quit. This was really a game which turned on a few plays, and I am pleased to know that the Broncos can compete with Indianapolis, unlike in past years. This week, it's the Raiders, and luckily, JaMarcus Russell will be under center again. Expect Elvis Dumervil to get some shots at him. The Broncos can take care of business at home, and position themselves well to make the postseason. Happy Raiders Week, friends.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Colts:

a. Andre' Goodman got beat on a crossing route by Pierre Garcon on the first offensive play of the game, and in the moment, I wondered if there was a major speed mismatch. Goodman settled down to play Garcon spectacularly the rest of the game, breaking up four well-thrown balls. Goodman has been terrific all year, but I'd call this his best game as a Bronco.

b. When the Broncos drafted Darcel McBath, I'd never heard of him. I'm very impressed with his play as a rookie, though, and he had a fantastic game Sunday. He separated Dallas Clark from the ball on a 3rd down, and also baited Peyton Manning into his third interception. It's a real bummer that he broke his forearm and is gone for the season, but he showed well when he got the opportunities. I look for him to make a serious run at Renaldo Hill's starting job next season.

c. I really "misunderestimated" the Colts' DTs, Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson. They both played fantastic, and drove the Broncos' interior players backward consistently.

d. Ryan Clady didn't play very well in the running game, which was a departure from what we've been seeing lately. He got pushed backward several times when he lost leverage, and he misread a few run blitzes, and didn't hit the right guy. He's young and growing, and we can only hope he learns from this game.

e. Brandon Marshall was spectacular, of course. It's obvious that Kyle Orton really trusts him to make plays at this point. I wish he trusted Eddie Royal a little more, though. The truth is, though, Royal hasn't come up with some plays when he's had chances to do so.

f. I was happy to see Jabar Gaffney back in the mix this week. He's a pro's pro, and the Broncos offense is better when he is involved.

g. I was pleased with what I saw from Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil, despite the Broncos' lack of sacks. Both played well against the run, and generated pressure against Manning.

h. Peyton Hillis isn't a very good lead blocker, and I think a key part of the trouble the running game had was with the loss of Spencer Larsen. Larsen has been knocking heads the last two weeks, and he wasn't there this time, obviously.

Hillis is a good RB, but he's a true HB, not a FB. The truth is, he is where he should be on the depth chart; the third RB for the Broncos. Zappa said that some DP posters were calling for Knowshon Moreno to be benched, and Hillis to get the starting job. That's not going to happen, and frankly, it's asinine. Hillis could get more opportunity to make plays, but he deserves to be behind Moreno and Correll Buckhalter. There's no question in my mind of that.

i. The Colts' last drive was enabled by missed tackles by Vonnie Holliday (first play of the series) and Mario Haggan (3rd down inside the Broncos 10).

j. Oh, Dallas Clark. Ty Law did a good job on him, but he often was assigned to cover Austin Collie. Wesley Woodyard is a good zone player, but he can't cover a Clark in man-to-man. That 4th-and-4 was badly schemed, because Brian Dawkins shouldn't be manned up on Clark, either.

Finally, at the end of the game, the approach should have been to look at the formation. The power was left, and the only receiving threat was Clark, playing with his hand down on the right side. You need somebody to drive him straight into the ground, so he can't get out in the pattern. That's how I would coach that situation, anyway. Tackle him when he pretends to block, without getting called for holding.

k. D.J. Williams had a very good game, except for the one stupid penalty. Darrell Reid got (another) one of those too, while we're at it.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games

a. I thought Thursday's Browns-Steelers game was pretty riveting, and I almost wish I went (but not quite). Several of my friends tried to get me to go, because everybody in the world was trying to dump their tickets. It was 12 degrees, with 50 mph winds, and felt negative-7 in Cleveland that night. That's a recipe for freezing your hind-parts off, as Omar would say.

The Browns are changing for the better, and I wonder if it saves Eric Mangini's job. They're doing some very interesting things, like using Mike Furrey at FS. He's played both ways in his career, but has been more of a WR in the NFL, and caught 98 passes for the Lions in 2006, which was second in the NFL.

He did some nice things at Safety in the game, and it reminded me of Troy Brown playing defense for the Patriots, though, as I mentioned, Furrey has played defense at the professional level. You have to be impressed with a player doing what it takes to help his team win.

b. A guy who I have always liked, who the Browns found for free is Matt Roth. He got on the wrong side of Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami, and they put him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, and then waived him in November. The Browns smartly claimed him, and he's played very well for the Browns thus far. The Sam position in a 3-4 is pretty hard to fill, because it's a unique skill set. Lamarr Woodley and Mario Haggan are both very good at it, and Adalius Thomas used to be, but like RT on offense, there are a lot more average 3-4 Sams than there are good ones. Roth is a good one, because he sets the edge well, and generates a good pass rush when he's called upon to do so. Finding a guy like him in-season is what a bad team has to do.

c. Two unheralded guys who the Browns have discovered on offense are RB Chris Jennings and TE Evan Moore. Jennings won a Grey Cup recently with the Montreal Alouettes, and looked like the best back on the Browns roster last Thursday. He ran with power and explosion against an excellent run defense.

I meant to mention Moore last week and forgot; but I know a football player when I see one, and he's a player. He was a big WR at Stanford for 4 years, and also played basketball for his first 2 years. His fluidity, body control, and overall athleticism jump off the screen, and really remind me of Antonio Gates. I don't know if he's as fast as Gates, but he looks to me like he could definitely be a Brent Celek-caliber receiving TE. He's been key to Brady Quinn's recent improvement, because Quinn does his best throwing work inside the numbers.

Jennings and Moore are two players who the Browns can be very excited about, as they figure out what their program is during the offseason. Like Roth, they came with no significant cost. Now the Browns just need to nail their offseason.

d. I had a friend who is a Steelers fan ask me what was wrong with his team, and I think I may have disappointed him by not having a real definitive answer ready. It's kind of a tough question to answer, really, because Mike Tomlin had it exactly right when he said it was a function of struggles in all three phases of the game.

The defense really misses Troy Polamalu, who I think might be the most irreplaceable defensive player in the NFL. No safety plays with the speed of Polamalu, and the Steelers are much more conservative in their blitz packages without him. Their CBs are also playing pretty poorly over the last five games. On offense, I think the Steelers play-calling has been suspect. Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as a good RB, and the Steelers seem reluctant to commit to letting him run. I'm not surprised at the rumblings Sunday that some offensive coaches are likely going to get whacked after the season.

e. Now, on to why the Browns won Thursday. There were two reasons. One reason is that Joshua Cribbs is a great football player, and he carried his team on offense and special teams. The other is that the Browns covered the Steelers' receivers at a shockingly high level. ST&NO Favorite Brandon McDonald was fantastic. He might have had the best coverage game I have seen from a CB this year (although Andre' Goodman was awesome on Sunday, too). Eric Wright was strong on the other side too, though he gave up a few completions to Santonio Holmes. As has often been the case with the Broncos this season, the coverage allowed the pressure to get to Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 8 times.

f. It was another annoying weekend when almost every game was early, including the Broncos. I had the Chicago-Green Bay game on at the same time as the Broncos game,. and as I watched some of it, I was struck by the fact that neither team showed me anything that I didn't already know about them. Aaron Rodgers continued his recent run of getting sacked less, and the Packers defense was strong again. The Bears had some flashes, but self-destructed at key times.

The only real takeaway from this, to me, is another reminder why I don't really like fantasy football. The number one player in the Official MHR League this year has been my QB, Rodgers. In real football terms, he played fine on Sunday. He completed 16 of 24 throws for 180 yards, and lost a fumble on a blind-side sack. His team won the game, so no worries, right? Well, in fantasy terms, he tanked. Not only that, I am playing Zappa in the playoffs this week, and he has Ryan Grant, who had a monster game with 137 yards and 2 TDs, because the Bears were playing coverage to prevent big plays in the passing game.

g. Speaking of guys who tanked on my fantasy team, Randy Moss, this skunky, warm Miller High Life is for you. One catch for 16 yards, and a lost fumble? Really? He really looked like he wasn't trying hard, too; it was a total flashback to the Oakland days. Good thing I had Brandon Marshall and the Eagles (TD scoring) defense.

h. I think the Patriots are in trouble, and that their culture needs an adjustment. I read Bill Belichick's sending tardy players home as a clear indication of that. Adalius Thomas lipped off in the media, and got benched for it, and Randy Moss did it with his play somewhat on Sunday. I wouldn't be shocked if both are gone after this season. Thomas is gone for sure, and Moss is a possibility. The Patriots have a lot of draft assets with which to restock the WR position, and they're pretty solid at LB anyway, with guys like Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich making positive contributions.

It was pretty interesting how Tom Brady and Bill Belichick came to Moss's aid on Monday, after he clearly was dogging some pass routes. Michael Lombardi had a good point on NFL Network that Moss has done that his whole career, and that the Patriots probably weren't too alarmed by it. I think it's pretty bad, personally.

i. Scary moment in Arlington, Texas, when DeMarcus Ware was carted off the field with a neck injury. The Chargers had a false start, and then went right down the field in two plays to score the deciding TD afterward. Reports on Monday were that Ware would miss the next two weeks, which would really handicap the Dallas defense. Most casual fans think of Ware as just a pass rusher, but he is a rare player who stars against the run, and in zone coverage too.

j. I alluded to this thought last week, but it was well-articulated by Michael Lombardi last night; Dallas's struggles have nothing to do with what month it is. The same can be said of the Chargers and their success in the month of December. If you're playing in a lot of places where there's bad weather, then maybe the month is a semi-meaningful data point, but neither Dallas nor San Diego particularly qualifies. I know somebody is going to say that a game in December is a pressure game, but even that's not true a lot of times. San Diego has tended to be healthy in December, and Dallas has tended to be banged up. San Diego has tended to play weak late-season schedules, and Dallas has tended to play difficult ones. Don't get caught up in things which Peter King would incorrectly call a factoid.

k. That Radio Shack commercial with the sleeping scruffy dude saying "Dance, Sugar Plum Fairies" is bizarre. It makes no sense at all to me, and I can't imagine how it would make anybody want to shop at Radio Shack, or buy that craptastic phone from Sprint.

l. NBC lucked out with a great game on Sunday night between the Eagles and Giants. Neither defense looked particularly good, but both offenses lit it up. The difference in the game was a defensive TD from Sheldon Brown, and a punt-return TD from DeSean Jackson. Those plays also provided the difference in the Shallow Thoughts team beating Zappa's Sactown Beavers in the playoffs.

m. I would never let Jackson get off the line of scrimmage without getting hit. Teams just insist on letting this guy run free through their secondary, and he kills them. Little, fast guys like him must be re-routed off the line, and then you want over/under coverage on him after that. He's not the typical big, physical number-1 WR like Brandon Marshall, but he does need double-team attention, or at least Cover-3 behind him, so he can be hit at the line with confidence.

n. Brandon Jacobs, to me, is like a 98-mph fastball that's a little too straight, and rarely misses bats. Jacobs has been running harder lately than he was early in the season, but he doesn't make anybody miss. He takes so many hits, and this year, he's going down more easily than he used to. I think the Giants offense is better when Ahmad Bradshaw is getting more carries than Jacobs at this point, even as Jacobs has been better lately.

o. Speaking of the Giants, I want to share some ST&NO light with a Giants fan, because I've coincidentally been listening to his music as I wrote this part of the column. If you like hip hop, you ought to check out Nickel at his website www.SpotMeANickel.com. He's got a couple albums worth of MP3s available for free download there. I went to high school with the guy at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT, and it's cool to see him doing well, and making good music.

p. As always, I watched 5 games on Monday night, and the one I learned the most from was the New Orleans-Atlanta game. Very simply, New Orleans deserved to lose the game, and I haven't seen or heard anybody acknowledge that. I take that as a reaffirmation that my effort is worth the time.

Brent Grimes got called for two horrible pass-interference penalties, on plays where he reached around his man to play the ball. Those two plays directly led to 14 points being scored, and the Saints won by 3. The officials bogusly penalized ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud on an even better play in the fourth quarter too, but Garrett Hartley subsequently missed a Field Goal, so it didn't affect the scoreboard. The Saints are a very good team, and they don't need any bonus help, but apparently you can't breathe on their receivers. It reminded me of the 2006 NBA Finals, when Dwyane Wade got "fouled" practically every time he touched the ball, and it disgusted me just as much to watch.

q. Jonathan Vilma deserves credit for sealing the win for New Orleans. He intercepted Chris Redman with 3 minutes to go in the game. Then, after the Saints arrogantly tried a fake field goal, rather than taking the points and going up 6, Vilma tackled the formidable Jason Snelling cold in the open field, a yard short of the first down on 4th and 2. He made the plays that were there to be made.

r. While I'm on the topic of the Saints, here's an E! True Hollywood Story for you. Or maybe it's a Letterman-style Top 2 list. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Top 2 Things Ted Bartlett Currently Doesn't Give A Damn About (And Al Roker's Forecast Calls For No Change:)

1. Whether or not the Colts or Saints go 16-0, and on a related note, whether or not they rest their starters.

2. Who wins the NFL MVP Award.

Going 16-0 doesn't matter to anything. All it would do is create something which Peter King would someday mistakenly call a factoid (even though it's actually a fact). The only thing that matters is going 3-0 (or 4-0) in the Playoffs. Plus, the whole thing puts Mercury Morris back in the spotlight, and he's a jerk who doesn't deserve it.

As for the MVP Award, really, who cares? I may start caring if somebody other than a QB or RB can win, other than the rare Lawrence Taylor in 1986. (Since the AP award began in 1957, only DT Alan Page, K Mark Moseley, and Taylor have won the award from positions other than QB or RB. Taylor is the only winner for the Pro Football Writers Association award, which began in 1975. This is an absolute farce.)

Remember ST&NO Rule #1: If reporters vote for it, and decide it, it's usually not particularly worth paying attention to. That includes any and all power rankings, the NFL All-Pro team, all season-ending awards in all sports, and membership in all Halls of Fame. Reporters often mean well, and they add some value to the overall football discourse, but the value they add ends when they're not asking questions, finding things out, and reporting those things. When you ask them to judge something, most can't get past the very obvious, or what other people tell them, and nearly all are biased by what they consider to be the most interesting story. While that's understandable, given the fact that they're in the interesting story business, it's also self-serving, and represents noise rather than a reflection of truth.

s. The more I watch Chad Henne, the more I like his mechanics, all the way through the process of playing QB. I most especially like the way he carries out his fakes after he hands off the ball. You can tell that he's very well coached, both at the collegiate level and the professional level.

t. Speaking of good coaching, if Head Coaching jobs were being handed out based only upon excellence as a coordinator, Mike Mularkey would be looking pretty good for a shot at another job. People who know things about offense, and pay attention, know that Mularkey has been getting a lot of production out of some pretty marginal talent the last two seasons. It's equal parts scheme, knowing the capabilities of his players, and getting his guys to execute, but Atlanta's offense overachieves. Remember - Mularkey didn't get fired in Buffalo; he resigned in 2006 because he didn't see eye-to-eye with the recently hired Marv Levy. He's up there with Houston's Kyle Shanahan on offense, and the Broncos' Mike Nolan, Cincinnati's Mike Zimmer, and Arizona's Bill Davis on defense as guys who I think are adding a great deal of value to their sides of the ball.

u. I tend to dislike University of Texas players, because they have a well-known reputation for being coddled in Austin, and often coming into the NFL as soft players. A limitation of making evaluations from a distance is that you sometimes have to rely on information which may or may not be meaningful, such as the fact that coaches are prohibited from cursing at players at UT. That's pretty absurd in my opinion, like the urban legend about stress cards in basic training.

I didn't take to Brian Orakpo much coming out of college, partially due to the UT factor. Turns out, he's very good, and he's brought a lot to the table for Oakland. He has had a very good rookie season, but he was dominant on Sunday against the Raiders' bad offensive line and indecisive JaMarcus Russell. I still prefer Knowshon Moreno to Orakpo for the long haul, and I still think the Redskins should have taken Michael Oher (after the Packers should have taken Michael Oher). Orakpo was a good choice though, and is a good player, so I missed on that one.

v. I said a couple weeks ago that I was pretty sure that the Chiefs didn't regret acquiring Matt Cassel, and he's proceeded to have the two worst games of his career the last two weeks. His ability is very clear, so I still don't think they regret it, but he needs to step it up, and buy Todd Haley and Scott Pioli some cover. Kansas City has an aggressive local sports media, led by Adam Teicher and Jason Whitlock. Whitlock has already renamed Pioli as Scott Egoli, so it would be mighty helpful to this regime if they and Cassel could finish the season stronger than they've been showing, and feel like there's something to build on.

w. A vital part of a 3-step drop passing play is that the outside blocker on the throw side (usually the Tackle) needs to cut the Defensive End and get him on the ground. The 49ers RT, Adam Snyder, failed to cut Darnell Dockett twice in the first half Monday night, resulting in an Interception by Dockett, and another deflection by Dockett, which Alex Smith caught himself, and promptly was tackled for a 6-yard loss. Neither play was Smith's fault; his job is to get to the top of his drop, and let the ball go. Snyder's job is to clear the throwing lane.

x. Speaking of guys clearly not doing their jobs (and jumping back to the Dallas game because of the topic), Tony Dungy was right on when he was asked if coaching was the problem in Dallas. He said that he knows Terence Newman has been coached to jam a WR and re-route him in Cover-2, and that coaching definitely wasn't the problem on the big Vincent Jackson 39-yard catch on 3rd and 12 (right after the aforementioned Ware injury).

That was the key play of the game, and Newman didn't make it. As the play happened live, I yelled out "Where's the f$%^&* jam, 41?" I was glad Dungy called him out, although I bet he wasn't moved to profanity like I was. I've always thought Newman was highly overrated, by virtue of being a Cowboy. It comes with wearing the blue star, I am afraid.

y. Usually, when a defensive lineman is drafted highly, you expect him to be a big sack guy. The Bengals once drafted Justin Smith fourth overall, in 2001. His career high in sacks, mostly as a Right DE in a 40-front, was 8.5 in his rookie season. He had 6.5, 5, 8, 6, 7.5, and 2 in his next five seasons, which are respectable numbers, but not for an open-side DE drafted that highly.

Smith signed a 6-year $45 million deal with San Francisco in 2008, and moved to 5-technique in a 30-front. It's the role he should have been playing all along, because he's always been a physical, block-defeating player more than a speed-rushing player. It's not too different than the highly drafted Derrick Harvey from the Jaguars, or Jamaal Anderson for the Falcons (who moved to DT eventually). Their skill sets are just better suited to playing with physicality than with speed. (Harvey got only his second sack of the year Sunday, and Anderson has 0.5).

Anyway, Smith was dominant on Monday night, and consistently held the point of attack, while often penetrating and disrupting the Cardinals offense. It sure seemed like he is earning his money. I was also very impressed with the pass-rushing skills of Ahmad Brooks, who used to be just a MLB.

z. Another rookie I criticized for seeming to be soft was Beanie Wells, and he continues to play like he isn't. His TD run early in the 4th quarter Monday night was a man's TD run, all second effort. He did fumble later in the 4th quarter, but it was on a kill-shot by Dashon Goldson, who had a couple of those in Monday night's game.

aa. Genetics are a funny thing. In my family, we have something called the Bartlett Calves. My dad and all his siblings have them, and all my siblings and I have them, even my 8-year old half-sister Abby. The Bartlett Calves are notable for being disproportionately muscular and large, compared to the rest of our bodies. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 235 pounds, and when flexed, my calves are 18 inches around, which is 3-4 inches bigger than the average man's calf, and an inch bigger than the average man's neck.

I bring up this genetic oddity, because it makes me feel a certain kinship with Frank Gore, who has thunder thighs like whoa. He's found out a way to make good professional use of his thighs, because they're what give him such impressive power in traffic. Mine don't really come in too useful as an accounting manager and blogger.

ab. The jury is in as far as I am concerned for San Francisco. The 49ers are on the right track, and ST&NO Favorite Alex Smith has definitely emerged as their long-term QB. They have 2 first-round picks this season, which are both going to be in the 10-15 area. They need a CB and an offensive lineman with those picks, or maybe even two offensive linemen. This team is not far at all from the playoffs, and they're not even going to miss by much this season.

ac. The Cardinals are still legitimate championship contenders, but they got their hind parts kicked Monday night. The result of the game was more a reflection of good play by the Niners than it was of bad play by the Cardinals. The bright spot for Arizona was the excellent Adrian Wilson, who baited Smith into a dumb INT, and was around the ball constantly, the whole game.

4. I couldn't agree more with TJ Johnson's piece about deferring the option yesterday, and a smart analyst got out ahead of me before I wrote about it, which happens once in awhile with a Tuesday slot. I'm always glad to see an in-house MHR guy do it. Big up TJ! If you haven't read his article, you should. So should Don Banks (and Dan Fouts.)

From Banks:

• Did I hear that right, the Broncos won the coin toss to start their game at Indy and deferred to the Colts? And Peyton Manning? Why exactly would you give Manning the chance to get the ball in his hands any more than you absolutely have to? What were you thinking, Josh McDaniels? That's a dubious, rookie-like call for the Broncos new head coach. I do believe McDaniels was guilty of overconfidence in his defense.

My two cents was going to be that each team gets the ball kicked to them to start one half, and there's no way around that fact, so if you consider just this fact, it's utterly meaningless which half a particular team gets their opportunity to receive. TJ goes much further, and finds that there is actually evidence that teams who get the ball to start the second half tend to experience more success. Very interesting stuff.

5. That first-rounder from the Bears is looking really good right now. Chicago fell to 5-8 Sunday, and I like them to finish 6-10. They play at Baltimore and home against Minnesota before finishing at Detroit. For the Broncos' playoff chances, I'd like to see the Bears beat the Ravens, but I doubt it happens. A 6-10 record is probably good for a pick in the neighborhood of 9th or 10th overall. I gave a cursory look at the remaining schedules of every team with a losing record, and this is what I came up with for season-ending records, and way-too-early possible picks.

1. St. Louis 1-15 Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

2. Tampa Bay 1-15 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

3. Detroit 2-14 Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

4. Kansas City 3-13 Eric Berry S Tennessee

5. Cleveland 4-12 Russell Okung T Oklahoma State

6. Oakland 4-12 Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

7. Buffalo 5-11 Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

8. Washington 5-11 Trent Williams T Oklahoma

9. San Francisco ~~Carolina~~ 5-11 Joe Haden CB Florida

10. Seattle 6-10 Anthony Davis T Rutgers

11. Denver ~~Chicago~~ 6-10

12. San Francisco 7-9

13. Pittsburgh 7-9

14. Houston 8-8

15. Tennessee 8-8

With a 10th or 11th pick, you can get yourself a difference-making defensive player like a Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, or Brandon Spikes. You could also go outside the box, and draft a guy like C.J. Spiller from Clemson, who projects as a major home-run threat, a la Chris Johnson, at the NFL level. You have to admit, he'd make a nice tandem with Knowshon Moreno. My move, though, might be to try to trade down, and enjoy some of the depth of this Draft. (I say try, because you can't always do it.) I am treading kind of lightly with this line of thinking, because I am a well-known believer that players are better than draft picks. (A player is a real asset, and a draft pick is a derivative asset; when you're needing to operate now, it's better to have a barrel of oil than a contract guaranteeing the delivery of a barrel of oil at a future date and price.)

To me, the Broncos could get back once or twice to #20 or so, and take someone like either Mike or Maurkice Pouncey from Florida, if they elect to enter the draft. (Incidentally, I think Florida is going to lose a bunch of underclassmen.) Both are 6-5 320-pound interior offensive linemen, and would fill what I think is the Broncos' biggest roster need. The overall point, though, is that it's good to be in the position the Broncos are in right now, with this pick coming in higher than their record would earn. For those who were sure the Broncos erred in trading their own pick rather than Chicago's, I'd hope they remember that you don't know how things are going to play out until they play out.

6. Bad news emerged for QB-needy teams yesterday that Washington junior Jake Locker will return for his senior season. It was not altogether unexpected, but I believe that Locker would have been the first QB selected, and maybe the number-1 overall pick. His talent as a thrower and runner is way ahead of the other guys in this class. The guy who benefits is Sam Bradford, because if he checks out healthy, his size and arm are both a bit better than Jimmy Clausen's. I, personally, am not in love with either guy. Bradford looks like a young Matt Hasselbeck to me, while a comparison for Clausen doesn't come to me so easily. Clausen is short, average athletically, looks like he needs to get a lot stronger, and has an average arm. He looks a bit like a young Drew Brees, before Drew worked so hard to become what he became. I am reluctant to make that comparison, but it's the best one I can come up with.

7. Retired for John Elway.

That's all I have for this week. We'll be back next Tuesday with more Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Until then, have a fantastic Raiders Week, and Go Broncos!

Jets Flight Connections 121309

dvdvil — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:34:12 -0000

First of all, don't forget to check out "Jets 24/7" "Jets Flight Plan" on WCBS-TV New York at 11:30am.

Brian Schottenheimer explains why Kellen Clemens looked so bad against Buffalo.

Kellen is eager to start again at quarterback.

His coaches and teammates say they have total trust in the back-up.

Will Tampa Bay hurt our post-season push?

This article says bet on the Jets, while this one says bet on the Bucs.

With Robert Turner out and Alan Faneca recovering from illness, the Jets activated OT Ryan McKee from the practice squad.

Former Army HC and current Jets LB Coach Bob Sutton was at the Army-Navy game.

Buccaneers HC Raheem Morris and Jets Strength and Conditioning Coach Sal Alosi were teammates at Hofstra.

More connections after the jump.

Read about how well former Jets Jason Trusnik and David Bowens are doing with the Browns.

What's going wrong in New England is not Tom Brady's fault.

Maybe it's Adalius Thomas's fault, who will not play today.

Matt Moore will be the quarterback for the Panthers against the Patriots.

Do you remember when Carolina went to the Super Bowl? What if Kris Jenkins and the Panthers had won then?

The Dolphins will be playing without Jake Grove again, while the Jaguars will be without Mike Sims-Walker, John Henderson and Rashean Mathis.

Lastly, please keep voting for you favorite Jets to go to the Pro Bowl.

Here are some highlights of the last one, where we voted in seven Jets players:

Keys to Winning: Panthers @ Patriots

MaPatsFan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:58:44 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

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4 late players sent home on Wednesday? One (Adalius Thomas) a healthy scratch for today? Tom Brady a little bruised and banged up? Trouble in paradise?

Much has been made of "Late Gate", of Bill Belichick's turning away of 4 players for tardiness. I'm sure our rivals will turn this into, "There they go. Here comes the downhill slide." Right. Like their own teams have never had discipline problems. Funny thing about speaking out on those matters. Chances are they're living in a glass house. Adalius Thomas was benched for today because Belichick thought someone else could give them a better chance of winning. It could be a little extra discipline for being the only one of the "Late Four" who spoke out about the incident. Randy Moss, considered by many rivals to be a hopeless curmudgeon, did the right thing and went about his business, keeping his mouth shut. Discipline stays in the building.

At any rate, this is about our upcoming matchup with the Panthers. More after the jump.

With QB Matt Moore in for Jake Delhomme, the Panthers have to rely on their backup QB to matchup against a riled up New England Patriots team...in their own house. This won't be easy for Carolina, hopefully. After 2 heart wrenching losses on the road (the first, a dismantling by New Orleans and the second, a heartbreaker to division rival Miami) I'm betting on Belichick being aggravated and unloading on his players this past week.

Carolina is going to pound the rock with QB Matt Moore under center. Running back Jonathan Stewart is freight train on legs at 5-10 235 lbs. And 120 yards, even against Tampa Bay, is nothing to sneeze at. And New England is ranked 15th in rushing yards per game. It would make no sense for the Panthers, ranked 27th in the passing game, to air the ball out. Yup, pound the rock with their 3rd rated rushing offense.

On our side, Julius Peppers is going to be a problem. Whether he's motivated or not by a huge franchise paycheck this year, I think he'll be interviewing for a job today. He knows there was talk about him moving to the Patriots this season, but the price tag was just too high. Julius would also have to be thick as a brick to be unaware of our troubles putting together a consistent pass rush. Great pass rusher and a team who desperately needs a good pass rush... hmmm.

You can bet the Panthers have been watching game film, especially the Miami matchup. Shutdown Randy Moss and you take away the deep ball, for the most part. Yeah, there was that 81 yarder to Sam Aiken, but it's almost a forgone conclusion that Brady will try to force the ball to Randy at one time or another. We need to spread the ball around a LOT more. Of course Wes Welker will be one of the primary targets. But is Moss the right early look? Sam Aiken needs to be in the picture and I believe Benjamin Watson needs to play a big role in this game. He's been underutilized this year, but has delivered consistently when asked to. I've said many times in these stories that he's our secret weapon, but always seems to get few looks from Wonderboy. Bill, are you listening? Throw to "Big Ben"!!

We're playing at home, the team is fired up, and we need this win to keep Miami at a distance. I'll go into serious mourning if we lose another Division title to the Dolphins with a tie breaker.

Prediction: Patriots, 28-17.

Jets Flight Connections 121209

dvdvil — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:56:37 -0000

Kerry Rhodes will not shut up.

Rex Ryan praises Lito Sheppard.

Rex Ryan praises D'Brickasaw Ferguson.

Rex Ryan and Bart Scott praise Josh Freeman.

Mike Pettine praises Larry Izzo.

Damien Woody praises Alan Faneca.

Braylon Edwards praises Kellen Clemens.

Brad Smith and Wallace Wright celebrate with a middle school in New Jersey.

The Jets are thankful to Eric Mangini and learn from the Browns' upset.

Mark Sanchez, Dwight Lowery and Robert Turner will not play on Sunday.

Buccaneers WR Michael Clayton and RB Carnell Williams might not play either.

More connections after the jump.

Miami will be playing against last week's Defensive Player of the Week.

New England might be playing wihout a healthy Adalius Thomas, and with a subpar Tom Brady.

Buffalo will not have Demetrius Bell for the rest of the year.

Once again, Wayne Chrebet is quoted in an NFL concussion policy article.

The topic of NFL injuries is becoming more serious.

Former Buccaneers HC Tony Dungy is still very involved in the NFL.

His other former team is currently still unbeaten, along with the Saints.

I would like to stress again that Darrelle Revis and Thomas Jones need to go back to the Pro Bowl. Please vote for them here. Polls close on Dec. 21.

Lastly, Rex Ryan talks about growing up in Toronto:

A Bad Week For Patriots Nation Just Got Worse...This Time It Involves Mascots and Prostitutes.

PSTIM1 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:59:33 -0000

More photos » by LEFTERIS PITARAKIS - AP

I'll just go ahead and leave this one alone - feel free to submit your own caption in the comments.

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First Bill Belichick causes an unnecessary media frenzy by sending home four of his player's for being late to meetings due to a snow storm, then it is disclosed that Tom Brady has suffered injuries to his ribs and finger and now...well now the Patriot's mascot has been busted in a prostitution sting! Hahahahaha - I guess when it rains it pours. Sucks to be you Pat's fans! I just pray that Sunday's game is uneventful and someone from the New England media has the balls to ask Belichick about the mascot, that would be priceless!

Poll

If You Heard That A Mascot Was Arrested What Would You Immediately Assume The Charge Was?

Panther Paw Prints: Friday Edition

Jaxon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:22:21 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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We've got a full basket of warm and fluffy Paw Prints today Panther fans. Let's get started.

I've spent a little time over on the SBN patriots site Pats Pulpit and must admit I'm finding the Patriots 'Late-Gate' controversy both amusing and a bit of deja vue: :

Late-Gate: Adalius Thomas Sounds Off; Personifies Why Guaranteed Contracts are a Bad Idea - Pats Pulpit
Adalius Thomas was the first of the infamous four late Patriots to talk to the media about yesterday's disciplinary measure taken by the head coach. He was clearly agitated by it and professed to be "dumbfounded" at the heavy consequence of being nine minutes late on a snowy New England morning. As he said separately to Albert Breer, "I mean, I could've been in a ditch. They really don't give a damn. Hey, as long as you aren't in that meeting, they really don't give a (bleep)."

Does anyone else see similarity in Thomas comments and those of Kris Jenkins a couple years back? We might have some disgruntled and therefore distracted players opposite us on Sunday. We need whatever advantage we can get, no matter how slight. Steve Smith tries to weigh in on it but his internal muzzle keeps it bland:

Panthers' Fox, Smith weigh in; other Pats notes
"It depends on the state of the team," Smith said. "If it’s a team that maybe hasn’t done as well as they think they should have, and you kind of do something a little outrageous, and they say, 'Oh, that’s what sparked it, and that was great.' And then if it goes the opposite direction, you have people that are going to say it wasn’t very good. I think it really just depends on the outcome."

Pictured: Patriots WR Wes Welker practices picking himself up off the turf in preparation for a visit from the Panthers!

So how spoiled are Patriots fans? They have the #2 offense in the NFL for Yards per game yet you still see headlines like this:

Patriots Offense Still Searching for Answers Through 12 Games - New England Patriots - NESN.com
The most logical place to look is the sideline. Quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien is calling the offensive plays, and he seems to be suffering to find a rhythm in his first year with that responsibility. It's a transition year for the Patriots in that sense, as Josh McDaniels held that job from 2006-08 before departing last offseason to become Denver's head coach.

If Jeff Davidson could only crack the top 10 we would be ecstatic. So would Steve Smith, who is doing his best to keep from voicing his opinion about the Panthers offense:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"It’s not too hard for me to say we are a running team first. That’s what we try to be. That’s what we are. We have two good running backs — three, four good running backs — and that’s what we do. But at the end of the day, run first or whatever you want to do, when we really need a big play downfield, in a hurry, they have to go to 89. So I don’t worry about it too much. I just keep coming back for some reason."

I imagine it has something to do with the dollar bills. Speaking of dollar bills, DE Tyler Brayton has been worth every dollar bill thrown his way. Did anyone really expect him to lead the d-line in tackles this season?

Brayton's found a quieter home with the Panthers | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"I would love to stay here," he said. "I think my heart would be broken if they didn't want me to come back or if whatever happened. I know this is still a business. I completely understand that. I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business here. I feel like God wants me to be here. "I just feel strongly about the men who are in this locker room, the men who are leading us on the field. I just feel like there's a lot of unfinished business left here for myself."

I couldn't agree more Tyler, there is some serious unfinished business in Charlotte. DT Maake Kemeatu says he will be 100% come training camp next year [must resist urge to joke about making it through one practice]

ProFootballWeekly.com - Panthers DT Kemoeatu says he will be 100 percent by training camp
Taking this year off has put another 3-5 years on my career," he said. "... Most football players, they take a couple months off or some just a couple of weeks (when they get hurt), and they're back at it again. Their body never gets to fully recover." Kemoeatu's contract has a provision in it that will make him a free agent after the 2010 season if his $9.3 million option bonus for 2010 is declined in March. It's expected that the team will decline that option, but could it decide to part ways with Kemoeatu this offseason instead? "Could they (cut him)? Might they? Yeah, anybody might," said Vierra. "It's a 30-year-old guy with a torn Achilles. Is it a concern? Anybody would be dishonest if they said it's not some concern. Will he play again? I'm not concerned about that. I know he'll play again."

How much again? $9.3M! I'm guessing an extension will be in the offing that kicks some of that money down the road. Unlike 2009 the Panthers will have a ton of options at DT come 2010.

I distinctly remember remarking last season how lucky we were to have the same defensive starters for the first 14 games. This 2009 season shows why we were 'lucky'. We will start our 13th straight different line-up on D versus the Patriots.

Despite massive shuffling, defense has persevered for Panthers | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"You've got to keep rolling and just have guys come in and catch up with the system," Lewis said. "That's the only way you can do it. You can't alter your playbook for certain offenses just because you may be short a guy here and a guy there. You need to get those guys caught up to speed and try to get them on the level with everybody else."

I want to say new DL coach Brian Baker has done a good job with his adjustments but I'm just not convinced yet.

What I will say is that if the Patriots run the ball more than they pass it Sunday, at least in the first half, then the Panthers have a shot.

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots - Pats Pulpit
Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME. Pound the rock and pound it hard. Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground. Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late.

In this scenario the Panthers should be able to keep the game close and hope that just a couple big plays will squeak out a victory.

Oh, and if you haven't already done it check out the Blogger Q&A link over on the Pulpit. Q&A threads are usually interesting and this one is no exception. I'll give you a hint, they are not happy sitting at 7-5.

Jets Flight Connections 121109

dvdvil — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:42:53 -0000

Rich Cimini writes that FS Kerry Rhodes "admitted that he yelled at Thurman" yesterday.

Kerry says it was not an altercation.

HC Rex Ryan won't commit to who will start at free safety on Sunday.

Rhodes thinks it will be him.

DC Mike Pettine says it all depends on Tampa's offense.

LB Larry to the Izzo goes to the IR. (I like saying "Larry to the Izzo.")

CB Darrelle Revis is constantly in touch with Sean Gilbert, Deion Sanders, Broncos CB Ty Law and DB Coach Dennis Thurman, who keep reminding him that he can still get better. Scary, ain't it?

It's amazing to think that Darrelle is fourth in the ProBowl votes so far this year. Fourth. Revis Island is fourth. He trails Champ Bailey, Nnamdi Asomugha and Antonio Cromartie. Oh, and that's only in the AFC. Take the whole league, and he goes lower than that.

As for RBs, Thomas Jones is not even in the top three. You can also vote for him as the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. You only have a few hours left, so hurry up and do it. *UPDATE: The poll is now closed.*

More connections after the jump.

Filip Bondy says that sitting QB Mark Sanchez is a good thing.

The Sanchize is just too damn competitive for his own good.

OC Brian Schottenheimer says that because they were leading against Buffalo, they were being conservative with QB Kellen Clemens.

He's been a patient back-up, and a Jets win would be good for Clemens.

Kellen will be ready.

RG Brandon Moore knows the game plan is to run, and OL Coach Bill Callahan shows some love for the underrated lineman.

The Buccaneers will have to deal with the Jets' strong rushing offense.

The Buccaneers will have to deal with the Jets' complicated defense.

Former Jet SS Victor Green now works for the Bucs.

Former Buc Warrick Dunn gives back to Tampa Bay.

Former Jets HC Eric Mangini keeps doing good for New York. The world champs have been taken down a peg. A whole peg.

Patriots LB Adalius Thomas is not so happy with his head coach.

We did make Dolphins QB Chad Henne look like Dan Marino, didn't we?

Who the heck is Aaron Maybin?

We shouldn't look ahead yet, I know, but is there a chance we won't be playing against Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux?

And lastly, the Jets playoff push is codenamed "Mission: Impossible":

and the home of the... JETS!!!